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並み居る (なみいる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
sit in a row ; be lined up ; be present in a row
Describes multiple people sitting or being present in a row, often in formal or ceremonial settings. The verb is intransitive and typically used in literary or descriptive contexts.
が
並な
み
居い
る
中なか
、
祝しゅく
辞じ
が
述の
べ
られ
た
。
At the ceremony, a congratulatory speech was given with the guests of honor lined up.
Written forms 並な み 居い る Usage 37%
Standard kanji spelling with okurigana み; the most common written form.
並な みいる Usage 29%
Kana-mixed spelling; used when the kanji 居 is omitted for readability.
並なみ 居い る Usage 17%
Variant without okurigana み; less common but still encountered.
なみいる Usage 17%
並なみ いる
Rare variant without okurigana み and with kanji 居 omitted; not recommended for learners.
Similar words 並なら ぶ 並ぶ is a general intransitive verb for 'to line up' or 'to stand in a line,' while 並み居る specifically implies sitting in a row and has a more formal, literary tone.
居い 並なら ぶ 居並ぶ also means 'to sit in a row,' but it is less common and slightly more archaic than 並み居る.
Etymology Compound of 並み (nami, 'row' or 'lining up') + 居る (iru, 'to be' or 'to sit'). The verb 居る here retains its older meaning of 'to sit' or 'to be present,' forming a literary expression for sitting in a row.
